Ruffled blind construction

ABSTRACT

A blind includes panels or slats which are pivotally supported on cross levers which in turn are supported at their respective outer ends between sets of toggle levers with two pivotally connected toggle levers being located between each adjacent pair of cross levers on each end thereof. A pulling member comprises an endless band or chain which is directed over an upper driving wheel carried on the pullup shaft and may also advantageously be directed around the bottom guide wheel mounted in the blind housing. The pulling member is connected by a driver with the end journal of the lowermost blind panel so that when it is moved, it may raise or lower the complete set of blind panels. The toggle members which connect one end of the cross levers is connected through a chain which extends over the upper driving wheel and connects to the toggle levers on the opposite ends of the cross levers. The toggle levers form toggle joints which can be bent out in the same direction with parallel guidance of the cross levers and the pullup shaft is advantageously rotated by a driving mechanism to simultaneously shift the front and rear set of toggle levers for the purpose of orienting the cross levers and the associated blind panels between substantially horizontal open positions or substantially vertical close positions.

United States Patent Neri [4 1 Mar. 28, 1972 [541 RUFFLED BLIND CONSTRUCTION Louis Nerl, Aadorf, Switzerland [73] Assignee: Griesser AG, Aadorf, Switzerland [22] Filed: Aug. 10, 1970 [211 App]. No.: 62,392

[72] lnventor:

Primary Examiner-Peter M. Caun Attorney-McGlew and Toren [57] ABSTRACT A blind includes panels or slats which are pivotally supported on cross levers which in turn are supported at their respective outer ends between sets of toggle levers with two pivotally connected toggle levers being located between each adjacent pair of cross levers on each end thereof. A pulling member comprises an endless band or chain which is directed over an upper driving wheel carried on the pullup shaft and may also advantageously be directed around the bottom guide wheel mounted in the blind housing. The pulling member is connected by a driver with the end journal of the lowermost blind panel so that when it is moved, it may raise or lower the complete set of blind panels. The toggle members which connect one end of the cross levers is connected through a chain which extends over the upper driving wheel and connects to the toggle levers on the opposite ends of the cross levers. The toggle levers form toggle joints which can be bent out in the same direction with parallel guidance of the cross levers and the pullup shaft is advantageously rotated by a driving mechanism 'to simultaneously shift the front and rear set of toggle levers for the purpose of orienting the cross levers and the associated blind panels between substantially horizontal open positions or substantially vertical close positions.

5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED MR 2 8 m2 SHEET 1 BF 4 INVENTOR.

DLHS N ER;

PATENTEDHAR28 1912 3,651,852

sum 2 BF 4 INVENHJR.

LOU l S NEE! F w aw x 7m H'TTOIN G M PATENTED m2 8 I972 SHEET 3 OF 4 INVENTUK SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates in general, to the construction of blinds, and in particular, to a new and useful blind having blind panels which are guided by means of end journals in an oblong slot of a side housing and which include both a pulling member connected with the bottom blind panel for raising and lowering all of the panels and a supporting member connected with each panel for the purpose of turning the panels between opened and closed positions.

The invention particularly relates to the type of blind which is usually made completely of a metal material and are suitable particularly as outer blinds. Because the pulling and the supporting members are arranged completely covered in a lateral housing, all visible and undesirable vertical connections between the laminations can be eliminated. Most of the pulling and supporting members of the known designs are complicated in design which renders their manufacture and their assembly difficult and which increases their susceptibility to faulty operation.

In order to avoid the disadvantages of the prior art constructions, the blind constructed in accordance with the invention, is characterized by a pulling member which comprises an endless chain or band which is engaged over an upper driving wheel arranged on the pullup shaft and over a a guide wheel arranged in the lower portion of the housing. The pullup member is connected by a driver with the journal of the lowermost blind panel. Each blind includes a journal which is fixed on a cross lever which in turn is supported at its respective outer ends between sets of toggle joints formed by two articulated toggle levers located between each adjacent cross lever. The cross levers are guided through the journal confinement in the housing slot and the ends of the connecting toggle levers on each side of the cross lever are connected by a support member which is engaged around the pullup shaft. The construction and assembly of the blind of the invention is simple, and with an all metal construction there is obtained a rugged weather resistance blind which is generally trouble free in operation and which is esthetically appealing. The panels of the blind advantageously are wide laminations of from 8 to cm. in width which are bent obliquely on each end of a central front flat panel and each panel includes an inturned and an outturned flange at respective opposite ends. The flanges are sufficiently rigid and the flanges of adjacent panels interengage so that they ensure a practically light tight covering.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved blind construction which includes a plurality of blind panels which have central journals which extend through, and are guided by, vertical slots defined in a side housing; and wherein the journals are supported by cross levers at a central location on the cross lever and each end of the cross levers are supported between separate toggle joints extending between adjacent cross levers which may be bent into a parallel orientation in order to provide a pulling up of the blinds; and wherein a single pullup member is engaged around a pull up pulley affixed to the drive shaft and is connected to the lowermost blind journal to permit raising and lowering of the blinds, the toggle levers of each side of the cross lever being connected to a support which extends over the drive shaft, and wherein driving of the drive shaft is affective to move the blinds between a horizontal open position and a vertical closed position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a blind which is simple in design, rugged in construction, and economical to manufacture.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a partial longitudinal section of a blind constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section similar to FIG. 2 showing the blinds in an opened but raised position;

FIG. 4 is a partial horizontal section showing the connection of the lowermost blind to the pull chain; and

FIG. 5 is a section taken through the line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings in particular, the invention as embodied therein shown particularly in FIG. 1, comprises a blind construction which includes metal panels or slats l which, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, include a straight front panel portion and offset or oblique portions which terminate in an inturned flange la at one end and an outturned flange 1b at an opposite end. An under plate or clamping plate 2 is affixed to the underside of each blind panel 1 and it carries a fastening flange 3a of a journal 3. Each journal 3 has a central portion of reduced diameter as indicated in FIG. 4 which is confined between inturned flange parts 30 bounding a vertical slot 32 of a housing 5. The journal 3 is surrounded by a guide sleeve 4 having a flange at each end and which is made, for example, of a plastic material. A cross lever 6 for each blind panel 1 is located within the housing and is pivotally connected to the journal 3 at its inner end. Adjacent cross levers 6 are interconnected at their one ends by toggle links 84 and 8b and at their opposite ends by toggle links and 9b at the locations of pivot bolt elements 7a and 7b. The pivot bolt 7a as shown in FIG. 4 is longer than the bolt 7b in order to provide an adequate spacing for the toggle links 9a and 9b when they are in a folded condition.

The toggle lever pairs 8a and 8b and 9a and 9b are so arranged that they can be bent to the same side as indicated in FIG. 2 or collapsed into the positioned indicated in FIG. 3. The collapsible ladder-like construction is supported by a metal band cable or chain 10 which has respective ends which engage at the pivot bolt 7a and 7b respectively, of the uppermost cross lever 6. The chain 10 is engaged over or wound around a rocking sleeve 12 which is mounted on a pullup shaft 11 of the blind. The rocking sleeve 12 includes an axial annular recess 13 which accommodates the inner end of a coupling sleeve 14 which is affixed to the pullup shaft 11. A coil spring 15 is arranged between the sleeve 12 and the coupling sleeve 14 over a hub segment 12a of the sleeve 12 and it provides a back gear for the rocking sleeve 12. A chain wheel 16 is arranged next to the coupling sleeve 14 on the pull up shaft 11 in alignment with a lower guide wheel 36 (FIG. 3) which is located at the lower end of the housing 5. An endless chain 17 runs over each of the wheels 16 and 36 and it serves as a pulling member. This pulling member 17 may comprise for example, a chain, a band, a cable, a belt or any suitable endless driving means. The chain 17 is connected as indicated in FIG. 4, to a driver 18 of the journal 3 of the lowermost panel 1. The tilting mechanism described above is well known in and of itself, and is of a type which is indicated, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,579,144.

The pullup shaft 11 may be automatically rotated through a drive gearing 19 by a suitable motor (not shown).

If the blind is to be pulled from the position indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pullup shaft 11 is turned through the gearing 19 in a clockwise manner and this results immediately in the coupling of the pullup shaft 11 with the rocking sleeve 12. The sleeve 12 is turned to cause the band 10 engaging it to turn correspondingly and to move the cross lever 6 of the uppermost cross lever 6 and then all of the others through the acthe slot for vertical tuationot the levers 8a, 8b, and 9a and 9b. This opening movement may be continued until all of the panels I assume their horizontal or opened position. Further rotation of the pullup shaft 11 by engagement of the pullup chain 17 results in a liftingof the panels 1 with the corresponding pairs of toggle levers 8a and 8b and 9a and 9b until the entire blind assembly assumes the ruffled position shown in FIG. 3. In order to lower the blind again, the pullup shaft 11 is turned in an opposite direction and the toggle lever pairs 8a and 8b and 9a and 9b are stretched again to an extended position to provide a lowering of the blinds.

The blind of the invention whose essential parts are made preferably of metal is simple in construction and assembly and has not complicated elements that are susceptible to trouble. The blind has a very good appearance and ensures a good view uninterrupted by any vertical bands or cords because of the arrangement of the supporting and pulling members completely in lateral housings.

What is claimed is:

l. A blind construction including a side housing for each side of the blind having a vertically extending slot, a plurality of blind panels adapted to extend between two of said side housings and each including a journal extending through the slot of said housing into the interior thereof and confined by movement, a cross lever in at least one of said housings for each of said blind panels and each being centrally connected to a respective one of said blind panel journals, a pair of toggle levers pivotally connected between each of the ends of adjacent cross levers, a pullup shaft in said housing located above said blind panels, a supporting member engaged over said shaft and movable therearound and having ends which are connected to respective ends of the uppermost cross lever for supporting and rotating said cross lever and said blind panels between an opened substantially horizontal position and a closed substantially vertical position, and a pullup member rotatably supported over said shaft and having a lower end engaged with the lowermost one of said journals for raising and lowering the lowermost of one of said journals with all of the other of said panels, said toggle levers being collapsible between said cross levers during the raising and lowering.

2. A blind construction, according to claim 1, wherein each of said cross levers include a pivot bolt at each end, the pivot bolt at one end being longer than the pivot bolt at the opposite end and being connected to said toggle levers at their outer ends to space the toggle levers on respective ends and to permit said toggle levers to be collapsed at a location beyond the collapsed toggle levers between the shorter levers at the opposite .ends of said cross levers.

3. A blind construction, according to claim 1, including a guide bushing extending around said shaft, a rocking sleeve having a hub portion spaced inwardly from said guide bushing and a spring between said rocking sleeve and said bushing, said supporting member being engaged over said rocking sleeve.

4. A blind construction, according to claim 1, wherein said pullup member comprises an endless chain.

5. A blind construction, according to claim 4, including a rotatable guide wheel on said shaft, a second rotatable guide wheel located at the lower end of said housing said pullup member comprising an endless member engaged over said guide wheel and said second guide wheel. 

1. A blind construction including a side housing for each side of the blind having a vertically extending slot, a plurality of blind panels adapted to extend between two of said side housings and each including a journal extending through the slot of said housing into the interior thereof and confined by the slot for vertical movement, a cross lever in at least one of said housings for each of said blind panels and each being centrally connected to a respective one of said blind panel journals, a pair of toggle levers pivotally connected between each of the ends of adjacent cross levers, a pullup shaft in said housing located above said blind panels, a supporting member engaged over said shaft and movable therearound and having ends which are connected to respective ends of the uppermost cross lever for supportiNg and rotating said cross lever and said blind panels between an opened substantially horizontal position and a closed substantially vertical position, and a pullup member rotatably supported over said shaft and having a lower end engaged with the lowermost one of said journals for raising and lowering the lowermost of one of said journals with all of the other of said panels, said toggle levers being collapsible between said cross levers during the raising and lowering.
 2. A blind construction, according to claim 1, wherein each of said cross levers include a pivot bolt at each end, the pivot bolt at one end being longer than the pivot bolt at the opposite end and being connected to said toggle levers at their outer ends to space the toggle levers on respective ends and to permit said toggle levers to be collapsed at a location beyond the collapsed toggle levers between the shorter levers at the opposite ends of said cross levers.
 3. A blind construction, according to claim 1, including a guide bushing extending around said shaft, a rocking sleeve having a hub portion spaced inwardly from said guide bushing and a spring between said rocking sleeve and said bushing, said supporting member being engaged over said rocking sleeve.
 4. A blind construction, according to claim 1, wherein said pullup member comprises an endless chain.
 5. A blind construction, according to claim 4, including a rotatable guide wheel on said shaft, a second rotatable guide wheel located at the lower end of said housing said pullup member comprising an endless member engaged over said guide wheel and said second guide wheel. 